Jack's Place and Billy Bomber's

Friends and general comments have been that the food is a little high end and lacked the normal daily foods that are affordable so here it is! Pls forgive the pictures as some were taken with my less than adequate O2 camera. Other than that, enjoy the review!

For the purposes of this review.

Address: Jack's Place @ Simei East Point
Billy Bombers @ The Cathay

Website: http://www.jacksplace.com.sg/main.html
(The Billy Bomber's website wasn't working as of this posting)

Price Range: $15-25 per pax @ both locations

Jack's Place

It touts itself as being a place for steak and so i'd suppose the best it offers are its steak. For this review however, none of us ordered steak and so its a review on how good its other food tastes. Anyway, me a 2 other friends met up to swap some information and wanted to have Sakae Sushi, however, the queue really turned me off and so, the newly renovated Jack's Place was our stop.

Steak and Chicken(or Fish) Combo

This was had by my friend, Al, and from his reaction and comment. I'd say he liked it. Note that the steak was actually lamb steak and not beef. I didn't get to try it but Al said the steak was "tender and melts in my mouth". He was also pretty happy about the chicken(or fish) that came with it as he liked the black pepper sauce it came in.

Mixed Grill

This was what i had and i can't help but say how disappointed i was with this mixed grill. The portion was very small. Much smaller then whatever my friends ordered. Do not let the picture full you, its much smaller then it looks. The egg should be a good measurement since it managed to cover all the meat beneath which consisted on chicken and lamb. I couldn't find the beef no matter how i looked. The meat were fatty and boney which meant the portions were really small and totally not worth the money. The sauce was also too salty maybe because it was meant for a BIGGER portion? The only saving grace for this was the potato it came with. A comment by my fellow diner: "Wow! That's so much smaller a portion than i remember." And that just about sums it all up.

Grilled Salmon

I only got one bite of this salmon but it was done pretty well. It was pan simmered and crispy on the outside yet juicy and succulent inside. The garlic managed to lessen the fishy taste and my friend liked it as well.

Bill: The meal came up to $70 for 3 pax.

Score:

Ambience: 6.5/10
Food : 6.125/10
Value for Money: 6.125/10
Service : 7/10
Overall: 6.75/10

Billy Bomber's

Known for its slightly bigger than average servings and marketed as an authentic American dining place after its founder. I've personally had it quite a few times with different people but didn't really take pictures. So here's my first try at it when i went for a movie with my gf @ the Cathay because we skipped the Cathay Restaurant and opted for something less expensive. Sorry about the picture quality. Will bring my camera for real next time.

Mixed Grill

Billy bomber's mixed grill, though not as photogenic as the Jack's place (JP) rendition above won in terms of serving size and sheer ease of eating. The meats were all done pretty well and the best part was the lack of observable fats or bones much unlike the (JP) rendition. I liked the sausage which was pretty big for its price and the chicken was actually quite tender and nicely marinated. The lamb tasted a tad less fresh but i've never been a fan of lambchops. And the mashed potato beneath completed the meal well. I was satisfied (servings wise) for this rendition.

Fish And Chips

The fish and chips came in an even bigger serving then my mixed grill. 3 huge pieces of fish accompanied by sides of potato wedges and salad. I had a go at one piece of fish and loads of fries because my girl is a little on the "conservative and weight conscious" type. I felt the fish was average and a tad dry but the portion more than made up for it.

Bill: We paid $45 for all we had here. Quite reasonable if you ask me.

Score:

Ambience: 6.5/10
Food : 6.975/10
Value for Money: 7.5/10
Service : 7.95/10
Overall: 7.125/10

Last Word:

In terms of food, these places generally are on par with each other and pretty much the same as Swenson's as well. You can't help but feel they came from the same ilk. Portion size is a hands down win for Billy Bombers for big eaters like myself. A point to note is there is this eatery called Changing Appetites that is actually leaps and bounds ahead of these here but i've yet to get pictures. I recommend trying it out for the big eater meals and mudpies because i've only had good experiences there thus far.